Ode to Robbie Benson

I Googled Vroman's in Pasadena to see if they carry the new Pasadena Magazine I've been writing for - and what do I find? Robbie "Ode to Billy Joe" Benson's blue eyes staring back at me.

Apparently, on August 29th he's signing his new book, "Who Stole the Funny?" - humorous tales from behind the scenes in the TV industry.

As an eleven-year-old, I saw "Ode to Billie Joe" and cried my eyes out for the saddest tale of love-gone-tragic I'd ever seen - okay, other than "Romeo and Juliet," "West Side Story" and maybe "Gone with the Wind" - and so I became ga ga for Robbie. Every boy I had a crush on after that had dark hair and blue eyes.

So the eleven-year-old in me would love to drive to Vroman's, buy his book and have him sign it. And, anyway, I love humorous, behind the scene Hollywood books. Industry people are hilarious without even trying to be. And, hey, I've got an entire collection of author signed books. I could just consider this another part of the collection. I could justify attending his book signing, make myself sound completely rational. But, in reality - even after all the justifications - I know that I would revert to my eleven-year-old self and say something that might even top all of the other foolish things I've uttered in my foot-in-mouth-filled lifetime.

But, man, if he hasn't gotten even cuter... See, I just sounded like a preteen. At least I didn't say he's a real fox.